Testing apparatus



June 14, 1960 F. E. BRAUNSTEIN ETA!- ,94 5

TESTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l 44 4; QLl

I N VEN ag 5 1-751 E /JL/NE TE'IN H L. DUN V/LL, E

L /W K 457- ang/v53 June 14, 1960 F. E. BRAUNSTEIN EI'AL 2,941,053

TESTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. '7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 q JANE/V 74UQ5 FZEZEQEL/NE TEIN ULDDNV/LLE' 4 77'- TURNL-Ti/ June 14, 1960 F. E. BRAUNSTEIN ET AL 2,941,053

TESTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 195'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .l l llil Ill llll ll lls llk-illilll Z/ v VEN TUQE FI'EfERHL/NE TE/N ULLUUNV/LLE' H WM F7- ERM/Ely ri-t United States Patent TESTING APPARATUS Frank Braunstein, Ridgewood, NJ., and David L. Donvrlle, Seaford, N.Y., assignors to Western Electric (Pompany, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporaton of New York Filed Nov. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 695,125

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-46) This invention relates to testing and particularly to facilities for connecting test apparatus to electrical units to be tested.

Electrical equipment, such as telephone exchange equipment, includes many apparatus units which are generally similar but which may have any one of a number of somewhat difierent electric circuits. These different circuits are often sufiiciently' alike that they can be tested on the same test set if the proper electrical connections are made between the unit and the test set in each case. In testing such units the time required to make and check the necessary connections for each unit is considerable and may even exceed the time needed to make the actual test.

The object of this invention is to reduce the time and care required to make the necessary connections between test equipment and the apparatus to be tested.

According to the invention, a contact fixture adapted to be interposed between a test set and the units to be tested has two sets of terminals and cables extending therefrom, one to the test set and another to the terminals of the apparatus under test. The necessary circuits between the unit under test and the test equipment are completed by means of circuit arranging cards which may be clamped in the fixture. A separate card is made up for each desired circuit pattern so that it is only necessary to plug the cable into the unit under test and then insert the proper card in the fixture. Any number of identical units may then be tested in quick succession merely by plugging the cable from the fixture into the units successively and when a series of slightly difierent units is to be tested it is only necessary to substitute the proper card in the fixture and proceed as before.

In the present instance the circuit arranging card is used in combination with a test set, and a fixture with two series of spaced contacts with conductors respectivelyv connecting one series of contacts to the test set and the other series of contacts to units of apparatus to be tested, of a circuit arranging card having a wiring pattern thereon for selectively interconnecting the conductors between the test sets and the In the present instance, each circuit arranging card is formed of dielectirc material with a large number of conductive strips extending parallel in one direction from one edge of the card and another series of conductive strips mounted on the opposing surface of the card extending transversely over the other conductive strips and extending from another edge of the card. With clamps adapted to cause engagement of each conductive strip with its respective terminal of the fixture and conductive rivet-like members extending through the dielectric card to connect any selected pair of conductive strips, it is possible to repeatedly complete circuits between selected terminals of the fixture or between a testing apparatus and units of an apparatus to be tested.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a test set with a fixture mounted thereon for receiving any selected one of the circuit arranging cards;

Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the connection of a test set to an apparatus to be tested through the introduction of a circuit arranging card;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the cards mounted in the fixture;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the fixture with a card mounted therein, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of one of the cards.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is directed to Fig. 2 which represents a test set 10 with conductors 11 grouped in the form of a cable extending to one set of terminals 12. An apparatus or a plurality of units to be tested in an apparatus indicated at 14 is illustrated as having connections through conductors 15 with terminals 16. In telephone equipment testing the connections between the apparatus 14 and the terminal strip 16 may be made with the conductors 15 connected to conventional jack or contact strips to electrically connect all of the units to their respective terminal of the terminal strip 16. Depending upon the type of apparatus 14 and the varied tests to be performed thereon, the necessary connections between the apparatus 14 and the test set 10 may be made or set up for completion selectively at the test set through any one of a series of circuit arranging cards 13.

In the present instance a fixture 20 is mounted upon the test set 10 and includes two double zig-zag rows of spring pressed terminals 12 and 16. The terminals 12 and 16 are illustrated schematically in Fig. 2 in single rows but in reality they are in double zig-zag rows to permit close positioning of the terminals in each group. The terminals 12 in the present instance are thirty in number and are connected through the conductors 11 to various units of the test set as partially illustrated in Fig. l. The units and switches of the test set are not described as they are not individual parts of the invention. It is important to understand that any test set capable of performing the desired tests may be employed and changed only in the connection of the wires 11 of the units of the test set to the terminals 12 of the fixture. The testset is provided with suitable electrical energy from a cable 21 through connections 22. The row of spring pressed terminals 16 are forty in number and are arranged through the conductors 15 for connection with the various units of the apparatus 14- to be tested.

The circuit arranging cards 18 are identical in size and structure up to a given point. The cards are all provided with three apertures 24 for receiving three locating pins 25 of the fixture 20. Furthermore, the cards are formed of dielectric material and are identical in size, providing opposing surfaces 26 and 27 surrounded by edges. On the top surface 26, thirty equally spaced conductive strips 29 are disposed in parallel positions upon or embedded in the surface, these conductive strips or elements extending from one edge of the card. The conductive elements 29 are spaced on a surface 26 to respectively engage their terminals 12. This arrangement cannot complete connection with the terminals 12 as the terminals will engage portions of the under surface 27. To bring about this connection, a series of short strips 30, Fig. 6, are mounted upon or embedded in the surface 27 directly beneath their respective strips or elements 29. Furthermore, enlarged circular portions 31 of the elements 29 and circular portions 32. of the short strips 30 are aligned with each other for electrical connections through the aid of connectors 33, Fig. 4. The connectors 33 are in the form of a hollow metallic V rivet placed in apertures extending centrally through the portions Stand 32 to make connections electrically between the elements 29 and the shorter strips 30. The

- terminals 12, engaging theconductive strips 30, will be included incircuits with their respective conductive; elements29.

The under surface 27 of eachflcard is provided wit'u 7 parallel conductive elements 35exten'ding from Tanother edge across 'the card and spaced toflengage their respective terminals 16 when the card is placed in the fixture over the locating pins 25. With th'e arrangementot' conductive elements 29 and 35, itwill be apparent that each conductive elementoieach group traverses each conductive element of the other groupThe tconductivet ele ments 29 and 35 are provided with enlargedQcir'cular por-' 7 tions 37 and 38 at the positions whereflthey cross. their opposing conductive elements so that at any of these 7 will embody the principles of the invention and fall withinthe spirit and scope thereof. What is claimed is: r

l. The combination with a test set to electrically test units of apparatus, of a fixture having two series of spring-pressed contacts positioned at substantially right angles with respect to each other and having upper surtiaces lying in a given planc, two setspfconductors respectively connecting one series .of contacts to ,thetes t set and the other seriesj of contacts to units of apparatus'to betested, a circuitiarranging "patch" card formed of dielectric "materiahand having} top and bottom surfaces surrounded by alternatively positioned end and side edges, a wiring Lpattem including a first-series of con- .crossin-gsa connector r3v3cm ay be mounted to electricali 1 ly connect the selected conductive elementstof eachQgropp ,to complete pre-selected circuits connectingtthe units "or the apparatus 14 with predeterminedltesting equipment inthe test set 10. t I t t i V ;The fixture Z6 is provided with pressure blocks 4% and 41' for engaging the selected ,circuit'arranging card 18 and forcing the adjacent portionsthereof downwardly against the series ot terminals na e 16 to form con nectionsbetween the terminals 12-16 and their respective conductive elements 29- 35 of the card. The pres- I sure blocks 49 and 41 are iormed preferably of dielectric material and are supported by arms 42 and 43 of clamping units 44 and 45 which may be actuated readily' to move the blocks into and out 0t clampingpositions.

By forming the circuit'arranging cards identical in tevery detail with the exception of the positions of the connectors 33 to connect predetermined conductive elements 2? with predetermined conductive elements 35, the

cards may be "stored in a compact space'and identified,

' by suitable means not shown, for the completion of certain tests uncertain types of equipment. Therefore, after-plugging in the apparatus 14 to its series of terminals 16, the test set 19 remaining'connectedto its ter ;rninals 12,1153 card for the particular apparatus being tested may be inserted readily in theufixture with the clamps '44 and'45 open toallow 'thelocating apertures f'24 to center over their guide pins thetcard 1'8 7 to come torest on the terminals 12 and 16. The clamps ductive elements disposed-in parallel positions, on the bottom surface of the patch card and extending to a first side edge of the patch card to respectively rest upon and electrically engage the upper, surfaces of one of the series of spring-pressed 'contactspa secondserie's of conductive elements disposed on the top surface of the patch'card short of t e e g s there f andtrpos ticn d s thatl element of the seccnds rie ofic nductive eleme will traverse 'each element ot the, first series of conductive elements, a third series of conductive elements mounted on the bottom surface of the patch. card in Parallel po- 7 ,sitions adjacent atfirst end edge thereof to respectively first an hird seri theme re pe v ly re 01 t 44 and may be closed, applying likespressurieson their respective portions of "the card to compress the spring pressed terminals 12' and-:16 to complete in this 7 7 short interval of'time all of the circuits necessaryffor the t performance of the tests through the test "set 10 land the apparatus 514. 'Inother words," the' card, when card selected for the next apparatus or group of units areyto be testedlsuccessively, then the-same card' majv be employedruntil the-completion of these tests, after 7 which a-- new card for a new 'series of rt'e'sts'may be selected, inserted' in'the fixture rapidlyand tl'ieheW cir- 'cuits arranged for the new tests.

7 It is to 'be understood thatth above d'escrihed' 'ar rangements are simply illustrative of the 'applic'ationbf the i clanipe'din the fixture completes apreselected series of a a "circuits between the terminals 12' and the 'terminalsdo. When these tests have beni performed, the"clamps* 4s and 45 may be openedfthe card removed and another to be tested. If a plurality or; like units or apparatus s0 7 principles oftheinvention; Numerous other 'arrarigements may be readily devised by' those skilled'in the art upper surfaces oftheir respective series of spring-pressed '.co ntacts,-'and a clamp for each series of spring contacts actuable to engage the top surface of the patch card -free of the second series of conductive elements and respectiv ly ;force the first and third series of conductive elements against their spring-pressed contacts to uni- ;formly compress the t e a t zand tahlis el a connections between the Wiringpattern and the contacts 'of-thefixtuIe. j

' .2.1The acombinatib cc rding to claim 1 which cr ;larged circularlconductive members are disposed; in {each of the first and second series of conductive elements set V the traversing portions thereof so that any first conducriv'e-elenient-tmay be electricallyconnected to any second '"con'ductiv' element by one :of the conductive-members extending through the card ialld any aligned. pair of the circularfmembers crimped to "engage the ,circularmemhers and thereby electrically connect the pairyof circular "membersand theirconductive elements, a I V References-Cited in theme of this patent UNITED' STATES PATENTS 2,041,589 I Bowers "M'ay F19, 1936' 2,613,287 Geiger 'Oct 7, i952 "2,616,994 Luhn e Nov. v4, 1952 2,712,309 Otiner 1955 2,746,680 Maul May 22; 1956 

